Neangar Park young guns swing for glory

NEANGAR Park Golf Club is being strongly represented this week as the state’s best young golfers battle it out at the Victorian Junior Amateur Championship on the state’s border.

Four of the club’s most talented junior members – Frankie Niall, Archie Alston, Ryder Comer and Thomas Boucher – all qualified for the championship, which is one of Victoria’s premier junior golfing events.

Finishing on Friday 3 July, the four-day tournament is a 72-hole event, played across two venues at the Tocumwal Golf Club and Cobram Barooga Golf Club.

Entry to the prestigious championship is no easy feat and is based on the players’ Golf Australia handicap.

It carries World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points and counts toward the Golf Australia National Junior Order of Merit.

Seventeen-year-old left hander Niall entered the tournament at +2.4, Alston at +1.8, Comer 4.1, and Boucher, the youngest of the quartet, at 3.6.

Speaking to the Bendigo Times ahead of Tuesday’s championship start, Niall said the four Bendigo players were relishing the opportunity to test themselves against the state’s best players.

“They are good courses, great fields and good competition, so great to see four of the Neangar boys involved,” he said.

“As far four-dayer tournaments go, I would have played five or six now and had a couple of all right finishes.

“We’ve got a lot a golf in the lead up to the week, so hopefully all (four) of us can deliver our best and be very competitive.”

Niall said the week would be especially exciting for Comer, 16, and Boucher, 13, as their ‘first big amateur golf ranks tournament’.

 

The quartet are all members of the Bendigo Academy of Sport golf program, a training squad which gets together once a month under the guidance of former Bendigo-based professional and Neangar Park golf operations manager Kris Mueck.

Hopeful of a big tournament, Niall identified good mate Alston, also 17, as a player to watch during the state amateur championship.

“He’s a more than handy golfer and has competed pretty well in some of these types of tournaments before,” he said.

“As long as I beat him I’ll be happy,” he quipped.

“But in all seriousness, Archie is a great golfer and he has taught me a lot.

“I have no doubt he will do well. I’d love to see all four of us Neangar boys right up there.

“Tommy (Boucher) is a little jet. He is out here all the time and works at it and is highly dedicated.

“He obviously has a lot of talent to work with.

“Considering he plays off 13 and keeps up with us boys, he’s doing well.”

Niall himself is in the midst of a consistent season, highlighted by wins at the Heritage Golf and Country Club, the Neangar Park men’s club championship, the Bendigo Junior Open and the District Champion of Champions at Belvoir Park just a few weeks ago.

Following this week’s event, he will contest next week’s Peninsula Masters at Moonah Links and The Dunes, followed by the Portsea Open Amateur later in the month.

He estimates he will play in 20 events between now and the end of the year.

“No better way to fun,” Niall said.

“You get to go out and play a bunch of nice courses and there’s always a good bunch of boys that play them.

“I’m kind of living the life at the moment.”

Neangar Park Golf Club membership/marketing coordinator Renae Boucher said it was a feather in the cap of all four youngsters to have earned their place in the field.

“To have four Neangar Park juniors competing against some of the best young golfers in Victoria is a tremendous achievement and a testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment each of these young men has shown.

“The forecast was looking a little wet this week, so the conditions are sure to test every player.

“Fortunately, our boys were well prepared, with their wet weather gear packed and ready to take on whatever Mother Nature threw at them.” More sport from page 23.